Act on Detention Without Trial Resolution (23/3/2002)

The 56th AGM of the Malaysian Bar held at the Crown Princess Hotel, Kuala Lumpur - Saturday, 23 March 2002

WHEREAS

1. The Malaysian Bar has always adopted the position that all laws that allow for preventive detention including the Internal Security Act, should be repealed;

2. The Malaysian Bar has also taken the stand that all persons presently detained under these draconian preventive detention laws should be released immediately and unconditionally or put them on trial in open court;

3. There have been many arrests over the past few months under the Internal Security Act but sadly the Bar Council has failed to immediately and timeously protest the usage of the ISA as was always done in the past, thereby possibly giving the wrong impression that the Bar Council now condones the usage of this draconian legislation;

IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED

A. That we the Malaysian Bar reiterate our call that all laws that allow for preventive detention including but not limiting to the Internal Security Act, be repealed;

B. That we the Malaysian Bar call for the Government to immediately and unconditionally release all persons currently detained under these draconian preventive detention laws or put them on trial in open court;

C. That the Bar Council, as the leadership of the Malaysian Bar, do continuously and actively protest every instance of the usage of these preventive detention laws on any or all persons irrespective of justifications forwarded by the Government of the day.

D. That the Bar Council initiate and set up a Special Task Force to actively campaign for the repeal of these preventive detention laws, and for the release of victims of these draconian legislations.

Proposer: Charles Hector
Seconder: Amin Hafiz

Resolution:

The Motion, as amended, was unanimously carried.